San Francisco
San Francisco, California, United States of America, North America
Founded: 1776; Incorporated: 1850
Location: The Pacific coast of northern California, United States, North America
Motto: "Gold in Peace and Iron in War"
Flower: Dahlia
Time Zone: 4 AM Pacific Standard Time (PST) = noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Ethnic Composition: White, 67%; Black, 11%; American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, 0.5%; Asian and Pacific Islander, 29%; Hispanic origin (may be of any race), 14%
Elevation: 47 m (155 ft)
Latitude and Longitude: 37°77'N, 122°41'W
Coastline: 40–50 km (25–30 mi)
Climate : Mediterranean-type climate with consistent, moderate temperatures. The year is divided into distinct dry and wet seasons, with most precipitation occurring between November and March. A distinguishing climate feature is the fog that rolls in from the Pacific Ocean.
Annual Mean Temperature: 15°C (59°F); January 12°C (53°F); August 18°C (65°F)
Average Annual Precipitation (rainfall and melted snow): 49 cm (19.33 in)
Government: Mayor-council
Weights and Measures: Standard U.S.
Monetary Units: Standard U.S.
Telephone Area Codes: 415
Postal Codes: 94101-88
2. Getting There
The city of San Francisco is situated at the tip of a peninsula surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west, the San Francisco Bay on the east, and the Golden Gate, a narrow marine passageway between San Francisco and Marin County to the north.
Highways
Several interstate highways provide easy access to the city, including U.S.-101 and State Route 1 (the Pacific Coastal Highway). I-5, the north-south highway that runs from Canada to Mexico, reaches San Francisco through Loops 580 and 680. U.S.-50 also passes through the city.
Bus and Railroad Service
Amtrak provides service to San Francisco on the California Zephyr, which runs through Salt Lake City, Denver, and eastward to Chicago, and the Coast Starlight, which runs between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Trains with regional routes through California include the Capitols and the San Joaquins.
Airports
San Francisco International Airport, one of the nation's busiest, handles most domestic and international flights to and from the city. It services flights from about 50 major carriers.
Shipping
With 40 deep-water piers, San Francisco is one of the leading port cities on the Pacific coast, handling about one-third of the country's West Coast trade, amounting to more than 200,000 tons of cargo annually. It has been designated a U.S. Port of Entry and a free trade zone. Freight is also carried to and from the region by a number of major rail carriers and trucking companies, and all major air freight carriers land at San Francisco International Airport.
San Francisco Population Profile
City Proper
Population: 724,000
Area: 122 sq km (47 sq mi)
Ethnic composition: 59.5% white; 29.1% Asian or Pacific Islander; 10.9% black; and 0.5% Native American
Nicknames: The Golden Gate City, Baghdad in the Bay
Metropolitan Area
Population: 4,051,000
Description: San Francisco and surrounding communities
World population rank1: 59
Percentage of national population2: 1.5%
Average yearly growth rate: 1.0%
Ethnic composition: 67% white; 25% Asian or Pacific Islander; 7% black; 1% other
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- The San Francisco metropolitan area's rank among the world's urban areas.
- The percent of the United States' total population living in the San Francisco metropolitan area.
Bus and Commuter Rail Service
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) provides commuter rail service between the city and 26 stations in the East Bay area. The Municipal Railway System (Muni) operates San Francisco's famed cable cars—popular with both commuters and tourists—and a system of above-and underground light-rail vehicles. There is also ferry service between San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley.
Sightseeing
Many of the sights in downtown San Francisco can be covered on walking tours. Areas for which tours are available include Chinatown and Pacific Heights. Among the tours focusing on specific areas of interest are Victorian homes tour and a Dashiell Hammett tour that covers sites linked to his detective, Sam Spade. The city's restored cable cars—which have been declared a historical landmark—carry visitors over a 16-kilometer (ten-mile) route. Bus tours of San Francisco and the Bay Area are also available, as are scenic cruises of San Francisco Bay, which offer views of the San Francisco skyline, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz prison.
Websites
A useful university directory for college students is the following directory of top universities and colleges in the United States listed by individual state, which also includes a university directory, edu search and a university search tool. Great university directory resource.
Cityguide Online. [Online] Available http://www.ctguide.com/. (accessed October 14, 1999).
Convention and Visitors Bureau. [Online] Available http://www.sfvisitor.org. (accessed October 14, 1999).
San Francisco Guide. [Online] Available http://www.sfguide.com/. (accessed October 14, 1999).
San Francisco home page. [Online] Available http://www.wco.com/chldress/sfhome/ (accessed October 14, 1999).
Government Offices
City Hall
401 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 554-4000
Mayor's Office
401 Van Ness Avenue, Rm. 336
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 554-6141
San Francisco Planning Commission
1660 Mission St. 5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 558-6414
Tourist and Convention Bureaus
San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau
Convention Plaza
201 Third Street, Suite 900
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 974-6900
Publications
Golden State
R.H.L./Golden State Inc.
555 Nineteenth St.
San Francisco, CA 94107
San Francisco Business Times Magazine
275 Battery St., Suite 940
San Francisco, CA 94111
San Francisco Chronicle
901 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA 94103-2988
San Francisco Examiner
110 Fifth St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
Books
Barrett, Liz. Frommer's Irreverent Guide to San Francisco. 2nd ed. New York: Macmillan Travel, 1998.
Benton, Lisa M. The Presidio: From Army Post to National Park. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1998.
Caen, Herb. Baghdad by the Bay. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1949.
Chester, Carole. San Francisco. New York: Longmeadow Press, 1994.
Doss, Margot Patterson. The New San Francisco at Your Feet: Best Walks in a Walker's City. 3rd ed. New York: Grove Weidenfeld, 1991.
Fong-Torres, Shirley. San Francisco Chinatown: A Walking Tour. San Francisco: China Books & Periodicals, 1991.
Gold, Herbert. Bohemia: Where Art, Angst, Love, and Strong Coffee Meet. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993.
O'Reilly, James, Larry Habegger, and Sean O'Reilly . Travelers' Tales San Francisco. 1st ed. San Francisco: Travelers' Tales, Inc., 1996.
Twain, Mark. Mark Twain's San Francisco. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1963.
Videorecordings
Jaffe Productions in association with Hearst Entertainment Television. Golden Gate Bridge. [videorecording]. New York, NY: A&E Home Video, 1995. 50-min videocassette.
Going Places. San Francisco. James Avery, host. MPI Home Video, 1998.
